PARLIAMENTARY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2882, 21 June 1882, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, June 20. ; The Council met at 3 p.m. i: USE OF OIL AT SEA. Mr Chamberlain gave notice to move that all vessels should be compelled to carry -a supply of oir, : W be used at sea whenmecessary to prevent waves from breaking. WEST COAST TEAOE'PEESEBVATION-BILL. In moving the "second reading of the West Coast Peace Preservation Bill, the Hon, Mr- Whittaker said the whole subject’divided itself into two parts, one having reference to what is already done which is covered by the Indemnity Bill} the second part being what is to be done in the future, which the Peace Preservation Bill dealt with. It would be admitted on all hands that great delay had taken place in settling the difficulties on the West Coast. It was unnecessary for him to go into the origin of what had taken place, because he thought he could give sufficient reason for passing these Bills without doing so. He then referred ; to the removal of the surveyors, and. the arrest of natives. While carrying out the law, the policy of the Government had been cohcilliatory to the natives. Last year the Government felt it necessary to put an end to. the state of things then existing. Te Whiti and jTohu were arrested and removed from Taranaki, If they had been allowed to return to Taranaki/ he for one should not have borne the ;consequences, and. he should have left others to carry but what might have been the' will of the Assembly. At the, present there was every prospect of matters settling down quietly.- The Government did not wish to punish Te Whiti and Tohu, but to prevent them going back to Parihaka and doing mischief. • If, they were allowed at present to return, the same difficulties he thought, would again occur, , , Sir George Whitmore spoke on the Bill at some length, and reviewed the history of the difficulties on the West Coast, He desired the preamble to bo struck out of the Bill. , Mr Wi Tako supported the action of the Government as to the detention of Te Whiti and Tohu. The Government had done the best thing under the circumstances. ; Mr G. McLean would support the Bill. Captain Fraser moved the adjourn* ment of the debate till next day, and; the Council rose at 5 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES/ The House met at 2.30 p;m. -PETITIONS.' - - Mr Smith presented a petition from deferred payment settlers, praying that, they might be t enabled to take up : additional land bn the deferred payment principle. Mr Hutchison presented a petition 25 feet long, with four' columns of signatures on each sheet, praying that the teaching of skilled labor in prisons might be put an end to. Mr Seddon presented a petition 30 feet long, calling the attention of Parliament to the unjustifiable manner in which the Westland Education Board administered the Act. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. Mr Fulton gave notice he would, move that the .‘‘.Education Act” be amended ■so as to enable the Bible to be read in schools"under certain restrictions as to time. - ■ ■ ■' TRADE MARKS AMENDMENT BILL. The Hon. Mr Dick moved that the report on the Trade Marks Amendment Bill be adopted. Mr Fish moved the re-committal of the Bill With the view of preventing it from being made retrospective. A debate ensued, and in its course it was pointed out that the measure did not aim at creating a new office, but simply provided reasonable facilities for detecting and cbrivicting under a crime already defined by law. The House divided on the orginal motion—Ayes, 42 ; noes, 27. The amendment was therefore lost, .. The division list was as follows : Ayes—42.

Allwright . O’Callaghan Atkinson , Peacock Barron Pearson , Bcetham ; . Petrie Bryce - Postlethwaito Buchanan, A. C.: Rolleston Cadman - i Rutherford Conollyw Shephard Dick Smith Fitzgerald (teller)Steven ' " ' Fulton -; ' Sutter: Green, J. Sutton * " Hamlin | ' Swat son ”, ; Hobbs- - f Thompson (OhristHolmes (teller) church North) Hourathoase Tole Hurst Trimble Johnston, W.W. Watt Mackenzie, F.W. White, W. Mason Whyte, J.B. McMillan , Wilson I. Morris * •Noes— 37. Bathgate Levestam Bracken . Maoandrew Brown, J. E. McDonald Dargavillo McKenzie, J. DeLautour Montgomery Dodson - -Moss Duncan , Pyke Fergus Seaton Fish (teller) . Seddon George Sheehan Green, M. W. Steward , Grey Ta\yhai Hutchison Turnbull Kelly (teller) Mr Fish protested against the Bill as retrospective legislation. He reminded the Government that they had voted against the Pensions Bill last session on the ground that it was retrospective, and now they supported a notorious retrospective measure. Mr Sheehan concurred in the opinion expressed.’ Mr Bathgate insisted that it was retrospective legislation, and as such it was opposed to the public policy. The Bill was read a third time and passed.' THE POLIOS’ OF THE GOVERNMENT. On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Mr Montgomery hoped that no debate v ould take place on the - Financial Statement until the Public Works Statement and policy Bills of the Government were before them. Mr Macandrew concurred, and asked the Government to indicate when the Statement and Bills would bo brought down. r, Tim Hon. Major Atkinson said it would be impossible in one speech to think of covering the whole field of their policy and finance. Ho had hoped that alancarly date at all events J to have had a very instructive discussion on taxation—the taxation of land at all events. The motion was carried, and the House thou wont into Committee of -Supply. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY. Class I—Legislature, £9,740 vote. ‘ Item—Legislative Council, £1735. In reply to a'question Ss to how i illf vote’for the previous year had boon increased from £1446, the Hon. the

Colonial Treasurer said that these were in accordance with the 1 list sent down by the Speaker of that House. ' • ‘ litem—Chairman of Committees (also by Act £300) £l2O. -; Mr Swanson moved that the increase bo struck out. The motion was carried on the voices, and it was struck out. Clerk to the Council (also by Act £406) £l5O. Reduced by £SO. Clerk assistant £4OO, reduced to ■£337. -■■■ - ' - Second Clerk assistant £225, reduced by £25. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed in Committee‘of Supply at 7.30 p.m. Item—lnterpreter to the Council, £225, reduced by £3O, The vote as amended was then passed. House of Representatives, vote, £3910. Item—Chairman of Public Petitions, £IOO. Mr J, C. Brown proposed that the item be struck out. , Mr Macandrew saw no reason why the Chairmen of two Committees should be paid and the others not. There was a principle involved which bo contended should be maintainod. Mr Shrimski supported the item, and Mr Fish opposed it. Mr Moss objected to these Committees, contending that properly their duties should be discharged by Government. Item, Chairman of Native Affairs Committee, £IOO. Mr J. C. Brown moved it be struck out. He insisted that the appointment was one of a purely party character. The item was passed on the voices. The total class as reduced to £9,483 was then put and passed. Class 2 : —Colonial Secretary’s Department vote. Item—Premier’s office, £4so—passed. Colonial Secretary’s office. £1895. Mr Holmes moved it be reduced to £1775, the amount voted last year. The Committee divided on the amendment—Ayes 25 ; Noes 41 ' Mr Shrimski moved the vote be reduced by £2oo—Negatived, The vote as printed, was then passed. Vote—Messenger and office-keeper. Item, 13 messengers at 6s per day. Mr; Fish mo9ed that it be struck out with the view of getting it increased to 7s per day. After discussion the amendment was withdrawn and the vote passed as printed. , Vote—Electoral Department, £2985.

Mr Cpnolly pointed out the disparity of the amounts proposed to be paid to the different officers.

The Hon. Mr. Dick explained that under the “Representation Act’’ of last year the electorates were divided and the amounts in such cases had to be divide.! amongst the additional registrars'required, and th-'y were content with the amount so paid. He had now been told,'tor the first time, that the person who appeared in the late election petitions case in Franklyn was the same as r the 1 Returning Officer who acted at the late election. - Had he known the facts of the case he would not have appointed the officer referred to. „ ’ The Hon. Mr Dick objected, contehdingthatthe payment of a registration fee would be opposed to the spirit of their franchise. The amendment was negatived, and the vote as printed passed. Vote—Audit office, £8732. Mr Feldwick proposed that the item “ Audit of Railway accounts, £4263 ’’ be struck out. The -recent disclosures in connection with the Invercargill office showed that this Department was utterly useless. Mr Shrimeki objected to the Railway Department opening accounts at all. They ought to pay for goods on delivery;^ Mr H, Thomson and Mr Smith entirely objected to such a course. The amendment was withdrawn, and the vote as printed passed. . Vote—Registrar-General and Government Statist, £81,561. Item—Registrar-General, £575. On a division an amendment was carried by 30 to 28 and the vote passed as reduced.

The Hon Mr Dick promised to be in a position to give fuller information respecting the other salaries and fees paid these officers to-morrow. He also promised that £SO would be placed on the Supplimentary Estimates for the Registrar at Christchurch, .who he admitted, appeared to be but poorly paid. Mr O’Callaghan contended that £SO added to the Christchurch salary would not equalise the salaries. He thought that the Registrar at Auckland should be. reduced. If the other motions were not carried, he would move that the salary of that officer be reduced to £2OO, Mr Seddon thought after what had transpired that progress should be reported.—Negatived on the voices. Mr Holmes withdrew his amendment. Mr Conolly amoved in favor of reporting progress.—-Negatived on the voices. : Captain McKenzie though; the proposed items were most irregular. Mr Dodson thought the vote as a whole was most unsatisfactory, and would therefore move reporting progress.,' An amendment for reduction of the Auckland Registrar’s salary by £125 was then put. The Committee divided on: the amendment —Ayes, 18 ; Noes, 40. Mr W. White moved that the vote b e reduced by £75, making the salary £250. 11 '<■ " The Committee divided on the amendment —Ayes, 15 ; Noes, 37. The vote was then put and passed. Progress was then reported, alid the House rose at 12.40 a.m.